good morning. breaking news. the nfl strikes a deal with its referees union overnight. the era of the replacement official is over. the regular referees back on the field tonight. is this where jimmy hoffa is buried? a radar machine detects something underneath it. is a 37-year-old mystery about to be solved? and pop sensation psy returns to south korea and the place where gangnam style all started. and our cameras are right there with him today, thursday, september 27th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm savannah gurthrie. >> see the smile on my face? >> i see it. >> a lot of football fans feeling that way. that's right, the news now that the nfl's regular referees will be back in action starting tonight. it's welcome news for a lot of players, coaches, and, of course, fans of the game. >> maybe some gamblers too. it comes after two days of intense negotiations that picked up steam following outrage over that controversial call that decided monday night's game. when you look at this agreement, it appears the league caved with officials getting pretty much everything they wanted. was this lockout worth it for the nfl? we'll get into that straight ahead. i'm smiling for another reason this morning. you know this. i love a story we're going to bring you later on. the story of adam greenberg, a

young man who always dreamed of playing in the major league in baseball, he got his chance back in 2005. that was the first pitch he faced in his first at bat in his first game as a major leaguer. career over. or is it? we're going to tell you about his road to try to get a second chance. the people who have supported him. it's a great story. we'll bring it to you in our 7:30 half hour. >> it's amazing how a moment can change your life forever. and he's hoping for another moment that goes better this time. and later, a man will attempt to break a guinness world record for a good cause live in our studio. the mark he's going after, the most pull-ups in a 24-hour period. we'll tell you about that. we want to begin with breaking news. an agreement to end the nfl referee lockout and get them back out on the field tonight. stephanie gosk is live. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. these negotiations went late

into the night. it's a good indication of how much pressure there was on both sides to get this done. that is what happened. the league and the officials have a tentative eight-year agreement. so when the ravens and brown kick off tonight, there will be full-time nfl officials on the field. the replacement refs have been replaced. >> the outrage is over. in a joint statement overnight, the nfl and the officials union said the words football fans had been demanding. our officials will be back on the field. in the aftermath of the controversial call that ended monday night's seattle/green bay game, the pressure was on the nfl to end the lockout. >> this is the most bizarre sequence you'll ever see at the end of the game. >> reporter: in the tentative deal, the pension plan for the referees remains intact for the next four years. average salaries go from $149,000 a year to $205,000 by

2019, with a training program for all officials. for weeks the replacement referees have been taking hits from all sides. >> strike three, you're out. >> the butt of jokes. >> it's hard to be a football ref when you don't know the football rules. >> reporter: the unfortunate pinata in a party of frustration. >> referees going to have to get this thing under control tonight. >> reporter: trying to bring to order to the chaos seen on the field, the league handed out heavy fines this week to several coaches lashing out at the replacements, including a $50,000 fine for super bowl coach bill belichick who grabbed a ref sunday night. >> oh, boy. well, that's a few bucks. >> reporter: experts this week said nfl owners may ultimately be the ones that lost power to the referees. commissioner roger goodell by locking them out made them seem more valuable than ever. >> the owners want to put the officials in their place, and what they did instead was give

them a very leverageable position. it was the owners who got taught a lesson in this situation. >> reporter: the officials will be meeting on friday and saturday to vote on this deal. but still, there's a collective sigh of relief among coaches, players, fans, and probably a few of those replacement refs. >> stephanie gosk on this story, thanks very much. peter king is a reporter for nbc football night in america, and a sports columnist for the "new york daily news." good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> we heard stephanie go through the points of contention in this negotiation. any doubt in your mind that the refs are the ones who won this? >> well, the refs won because america now realizes, matt, how good they are. the real ones. they're still going to make mistakes, they may even have made a mistake on monday night, who knows. but the fact is, there was no trust at the end of the day in the replacement officials. >> i bet if you talk to people in the commissioner's office

they're going to say this deal is a result of long and meaningful negotiations. any doubt in your mind that it was that play on monday night that got this deal done now? >> that spurred the nfl to give more than it wanted. matt, the nfl long-term gets the performance culture out of the officials they wanted to get. in other words, they get the ability to replace underperforming officials over the next eight years with new -- >> the officials get everything they wanted. >> they get more money and they get a better pension. >> mike, is this going to be a textbook example down the road for business leaders and business owners of what not to do in terms of putting your brand at risk for what seems like monetary gain. >> absolutely. i mean, this was an example of something that never happens in sports anymore. they actually listened to their customers. fans have so few rights left in sports. they pay whatever they're supposed to pay. they wait in line, they do all of this stuff. they actually listened to their

consumers this time. because guess what? the owners and the commissioner finally remembered something, they work for the fans. >> in a statement late wednesday, commissioner goodell paid special tribute to the fans thanking them for their quote passion as he put it. was it passion or was it rage? >> it was anger. and the nfl also realized, matt, there was no way they could send a crew of replacement officials to green bay on sunday. the green bay fans who had been so wronged on monday night. >> couple of quick things. what kind of greeting are the regular officials going to get when they walk into stadiums across the country this weekend? >> we live in a kill the umpire culture, they're going to be treated like conquering heroes. >> for the first quarter. the first quarter. >> the league did something unbelievable. they turned them into saints. >> and peter, the relationship between players and referees has always been a rather tense one. might we see a few players hugging referees this weekend? >> whenever he goes out, he's

going to get hugged by ever player on that field. >> you want to hug it out? >> exactly. thanks for helping us cover this story over the last several days here. appreciate it. let's go over to savannah. >> thanks. and now to presidential politics. president obama and mitt romney will be campaigning in virginia today as romney looks to repair the damage from that 47% comment that was recorded at a fundraiser. peter alexander is with the romney camp in springfield this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. when it comes to the battlegrounds, there are three, florida, ohio, and virginia, both mitt romney and the president held dueling events in ohio on wednesday. today, they are both here in virginia. another state where romney is trailing in the polls. >> reporter: campaigning in ohio wednesday, both president obama and mitt romney were keenly aware of the buckeye state's place in history. no republican has won the white house without it. romney went out of his way to

show his compassionate side greeting world war ii veterans and courting working class families. >> these are tough times even for families with jobs. i know what it takes to get this economy going again. i care about the people of america. >> reporter: it's a delivered effort, analysts say, with a tv ad designed to show empathy and soften his image. >> president obama and i both care about poor, working class families, the difference is, my policies will make things better for them. >> reporter: and despite relentless criticism of obama care, romney touted how his own health care overhaul in massachusetts helped families. >> don't forget, i got everybody in my state insured, 100% of the kids in our state have health insurance, i don't think there's anything that shows more empathy and care about the people of this country than that kind of record. >> reporter: still, president obama is furiously working to frame his opponent as out of touch. again, keying in on romney's comments seemingly dismissing 47% of americans who pay no

income tax. >> i don't believe we are going to get very far if we've got leaders who write off half the nation as a bunch of victims who don't take responsibility for their own lives. >> reporter: less than a week to the first presidential debate which some have cast as romney's make or break moment. he urges the voters to consider mr. obama's actions not his words. >> you can be extraordinarily eloquent and describe all the wonderful things you can do, but when you cut through the words, you can look at the record. and when you can see policies that have not created the jobs america needs, then you know it's time to choose a new leader. >> reporter: president obama even tried to turn a stumble into a stinging critique. >> i want to see us export more jobs, export more products, excuse me. i was -- i was channeling my opponent there for a second.

>> reporter: and earlier this week, mitt romney told me he's not worried about the polls, the polls go up and they go down. but savannah, where they are right now does begin to matter. beginning today as many as 30 states are voting with absentee or early voting. iowa, the latest state to vote, early voting there begins today. >> all right. peter alexander in the battleground of virginia, thank you very much. let us get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. >> good morning, everyone. a renewed search effort this morning for jimmy hoffa missing since 1975 as police sample soil from a driveway in suburban detroit. investigators are following up on a tip from someone who claims he saw a man who may have been hoffa being buried in that spot some 37 years ago. >> we believe he's credible enough that he believes what he saw. that something took place that day out of the ordinary. we do not believe it's jimmy hoffa. we are not making that

assumption. the time line doesn't exactly add up. to be mr. hoffa. but we do believe that he may have seen a body being interred. and as a result of that, we did the ground-penetrating radar that showed an anomaly. >> he was last seen outside a restaurant in suburban detroit, his body has never been found. trouble in the skies as fliers restrain an aggressive and unruly passenger. tom costello covers aviation for us. good morning. >> this happened on united flight 473 from chicago to orange county, california, last night. about an hour into the four-hour flight, a passenger began harassing other passengers and had to be held down by passengers. >> please help me! they're hurting me! i can't breathe. >> this is cell phone video shot onboard a united airlines flight from chicago to orange county, california. tuesday night, the 26-year-old was tackled by his fellow passengers who used their own belts to hold him down.

nona was seated in the aisle behind him and said the model and actor started bothering her right away. >> and he turns around a little bit, starts a conversation, immediately starts being a little obnoxious. >> reporter: she says he was drunk and got physical. >> and he grabbed my hair and goes no, no, no -- >> i was holding them exactly like this. >> reporter: as the situation escalated, david trong was one of several people who intervened and held durani down for three hours. >> looked at every one of us and said i'm going to kill you and your entire family. >> reporter: the tirade, passengers say, didn't stop there. >> he was spitting. he was throwing -- almost throwing up at one point. >> reporter: the pilots remained in the cockpit during the entire ordeal. >> we landed, we held him until the sheriff's department came in. >> reporter: once on the ground, relieved passengers watched as durani was arrested and removed from the plane.

>> he's an actor, model, and expected to be arraigned as early as today charged with interfering with a flight crew. >> frightening. thanks so much, tom. an army general has been charged with several counts of sexual misconduct. jeffrey sinclair has been based in ft. bragg since he was relieved of his command in afghanistan last may. the army will now decide whether or not he faces court martial. an arizona man was arrested this week after posting this video showing a 16-year-old boy walking the streets of phoenix with a fake rocket-propelled grenade launcher. in the clip, he said he staged the incident just eight days after the deadly shooting at a colorado movie theater to test how quickly police would respond. police say they were bombarded with 911 calls and they responded immediately. although, a counter on the video claims it took more than 15 minutes for officials to approach them.

turly faces charges of giving the false impression of a terrorist attack and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. and overexcitement about the iphone 5 deserves maybe a little bit of pranking, doesn't it? i don't know. this is pretty cool. the tricksters dressed up as apple employees. they had a little fun with fans waiting for days. >> you guys excited? how long you guys been waiting? 2:00 in the afternoon? for you. i think you guys know what these are, right? how long you been waiting? yeah. >> but don't worry. don't worry. there were no iphone 5s harmed in the making of this video. just boxes full of glass that sounded like they were shattering. back to savannah and matt.

>> yeah, but some customers whose hearts were harmed. >> definitely. >> that's cool. anyway, al's off today, maria larosa in for him this morning with a look at the weather. how you doing? >> good. a little gray outside in new york. we can trade the gray skies stormy skies back in the plains. we have a chance for severe weather stretching from the colorado rockies down to the panhandle. winds the primary threat today. but look at the boundary very active this morning. showers and thunderstorms from oklahoma city, clear to new york city. for today, that's where all the weather's going to be. south of there, pretty warm and sticky. 93 in dallas today, 90 as we get into parts of the southeast. still unseasonably warm in most of the west and you're waking up >> mostly cloudy with a chance for showers, especially into the evening hours. highs in the upper 70's.

and that's a look at the weather. matt, over to you. >> thanks, maria. justin bieber and his fans are mourning the death of a 6-year-old who snagged the pop star's heart. a remarkable little girl we had a chance to meet earlier this year. tamron hall is here with her story. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> she was one of justin bieber's biggest fans and even became known as mrs. justin bieber after she had a chance to meet and even marry her hero. on wednesday, we got the very sad, heartbreaking news that she lost her battle with a rare brain disorder. >> i have biebs. >> it was back in february when the world first heard the story of avalona ruth.

>> how long? >> seven years. >> no, 80 years. >> a little girl battling brain cancer with a big heart and complete love for justin bieber. ♪ baby, baby, baby >> as words spread online for her love for bieber, she caught the attention and captured the heart of the pop star. bieber actually visited her on valentine's day. the pair played board games, gave each other autographs, and avalana got to style his world-famous hair. in june, he appeared on "today" with the girl known as mrs. bieber. >> what did you say to me about my mom? >> your mom is my mother-in-law. >> your mother-in-law. >> the two remained in contact. >> she is, you know, means the world to me. it kind of hurts i won't be able to see her again.

>> when she was just 9 months old, she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. she fought bravely through several rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments earning her a standing ovation during the stand understood to cancer te telethon earlier this month. >> this feisty 6-year-old faces every test, round of chemo, hospital stay and setback with the courage and strength of all history's heroines combined. >> wednesday, her family announced the tragic news of her passing via the twitter page where we first learned of her illness. our darling avalanna went to heaven this morning. you took our hearts with you. >> later justin tweeted his reaction to the news saying one of the greatest spirits i've ever known is gone. rest in peace, avalanna, i love you. >> only about 30 new cases of atrt are diagnosed in the united

states each year. the survival rate is just 10%. matt, obviously, you look at that video, she's smiling. the short time she spent on this earth she knew she was loved, even by justin bieber. a short life. >> we pass along our condolences to her family. thank you. we're back in a moment on "today." this is nbc.

just ahead a story, an incredible story of a man, the injuries that crushed his dreams and second chances. he's going to share it in a live interview. >> an inspiring story. matt has been calling me for weeks saying you have to see this video. you'll see it soon. and we'll be live in south korea as psy makes his triumphant return, the conqu conquering hero of gangnam style. he brought it to the world. first a check of your local news and weather. and spirit of malib is an awesome place to be.

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common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. with chantix and with the support system it worked. it worked for me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. if your halloween plans involve the edgar allan poe house, a wait until next year. to museum's management wants get a jumpstart on repairs and changes. they hope to make the house more visible and popular in the community. the museum is expected to reopen

next year. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> adding to those delays out there. disabled vehicle taking up the lane and there. delays are all volume-related on the west side. when he went straight and tall first street, due to the baltimore -- monument street and converts to do to the baltimore book festival. slow go on 95 tapping the brakes to the 895 split. delays on 295 approaching 100 southbound. here is what looks like the beltway. not bad on the outer loop here.

>> drivers in the northern part of the state need to watch out for light rain out continuing to track to northern carroll and baltimore county and harford. that is how this is heading back towards. most of the rain is north of us. by the afternoon and evening hours, and i could creep back into baltimore. -- that could creep back into baltimore. rainier tonight for

♪ that's psy's gangnam style. it turned him into an overnight sensation here in the u.s. guess what. he's back home now in south korea. and as you can see, his fans loved him there. we're going to hear from psy about his triumphant home coming in a little while. >> why not. why do you think we do these stories? there's only one reason. >> to embarrass me. >> well, to embarrass ourselves and to get you to do the gangnam style. >> no. >> we need a hash tag, matt does the gangnam style today. >> you hold your breath and we'll see what happens. >> in the meantime, we'll move on. we're going to meet a couple who cannot stop saying i do.

they have held ceremonies in 24 different spots around the world leaving their old lives behind in the process. why do they keep getting married? they're going to share their unique story coming up. also ahead, here's a question for you, how many pull-ups can you do? 10, 20? >> one. >> on a good day 30. a guy who is going to try to do more than 4,000 over the next 24 hours. he wants to set a guinness world record. he's doing it for a good cause. and by the way, he's trying to break that record right here in our studio. this guy is built like mt. everest, and i think he can do it. >> he's really tough. we'll check in with him. >> all right. let's begin. >> shall we? >> go. >> go. we'll start with a story to give one man a chance to fulfill his dream after a debilitating injury on the baseball field. we'll talk to adam greenberg in a moment. but first, kerry sanders is in florida. >> reporter: you'll assume this is a story about baseball, but

it is more than just that. it's a story about second chances. and who among us doesn't wish we could have a second chance at something. >> reporter: adam greenberg was a major leaguer. >> adam greenberg will be the batter. >> his professional career with the chicago cubs in 2005 started and ended his first time at bat. >> oh, my goodness. let's hope he's okay. >> caught right up under my helmet right behind my ear. my helmet flew off and i felt my head explode. my eyes rolled in the back of my head. the first time in my life i didn't have any control of my eyes. >> reporter: in an instant, a career that had just begun was over. >> it was the single most happiest greatest moment of my life matched with the absolute worst thing at the exact same moment. >> now, seven years later, this center fielder who on and off

for years could barely stand without falling over is again hitting the ball like he once did. at 31 years old, he sharpened his skills playing for the israeli national team, an independent ball, but still holds on to the childhood dream of a career in the bigs. >> he was hit by a 92-mile-an-hour fastball. >> more than just a fanatic. >> i want to create an army of fans to help me get adam his at bat. >> reporter: a documentary film maker who didn't know adam but wanted him to get another chance. his campaign now on the internet is fast becoming a home run. >> one at bat. >> adam's is a unique case because out of the nearly 13,000 who play major league baseball, he's the only one to have his career end on the first pitch. and that's just not right. >> reporter: this all began when matt and his wife were watching that baseball classic "field of dreams."

>> are you moonlight graham? >> reporter: there was the scene with moonlight graham who regrets only playing one game and quitting. >> i never got to bat in the major leagues. i would have like to have had that chance just once. >> she's like, yeah, i feel bad for this moonlight graham guy. i said, he doesn't have anything on adam greenberg. >> reporter: more than 20,000 have signed the one at bat site saying given adam greenberg a second chance. >> it transcends sports. this story is anybody who has ever had a dream can relate to this story. >> the support is humbling and gratifying to know when there's all this other stuff, mostly negative that's going on that's in the news. so for me, this is great. because somebody's going to look at this and say, wow, i feel better today. >> reporter: as a neutral reporter who doesn't pick sides, let's just say i'm hoping that the next thing we hear is, now

batting, adam greenberg. >> kerry sanders, a lot of people are feeling that way. thank you very much. and adam greenberg is here with matt liston in the studio. great to see you. >> great to be here. >> adam, i'm starting with him. i want to know why. what was it about this story that made you dedicate so much time and energy to getting him a second chance? >> listen, like most kids growing up, a lot of boys grow up dreaming of playing major league baseball. i was one of them, but i wasn't good enough. here's adam, a guy who gets up to the plate, this close to having his dream fulfilled and taken from him in an instant. and that's always been burned in my mind. >> it's a long shot, matt, he's 31 years old, is that right? and that's an age that most teams don't give someone a second shot. are you worried this doesn't have a happy ending? >> well, of course. i mean, when i first started this i was given probably a 1% chance of making this happen, you know. but that wasn't going to stop

us. once i met this guy and saw how hard he was working and the elite shape that he's in, he's in better shape than most major leaguers out there right now. so i knew it and i wanted to put the spotlight on adam because i knew if teams would start taking a look at him because of the media attention, they would see -- >> here's the problem. it's real life, it's not a movie. all right. it's not a fairy tale. so if a team were to give you a second chance, you know, in the movie you hit a home run. >> yeah. >> but it might end up very differently. it might not have a great ending. are you worried about that? >> no, this has already been a happy ending right now, you know. the support that's going on. obviously with a campaign and, you know, matt, he lit a new fire in me that just has shown the human spirit is unbelievable. it's already a success. >> what about the reality if you were to get a second chance standing at the plate facing guys who throw at 90 miles an hour again, are you worried about getting hit again? >> no, after it happened the

first time, i had to put it out of my mind. this was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. i got back in the box 20 days later and said it's not going to happen again. >> i want to introduce david sampson. david is the president of the miami marlins baseball team. and david, i know you and the owner of that team saw this story and there's something you'd like to say. >> when we saw this story and we remember very well being there in 2005, and i went to jeffrey laurie, the owner of the team and said this is someone who we believe deserves to have one at bat. so adam, are you ready? are you ready to have one at bat? >> i'm ready. >> how is this going to work, david? what's going to happen here? >> well, adam, we'd like to sign you to a one-day contract. and if you come to miami, we're going to put you in uniform and you're going to be a member of our team on tuesday, october 2nd, against the new york mets. and believe me, you're going to get one at bat. so get ready.

>> i -- from the bottom of my heart, i can't address and express how much it means to me. and all the people that are around, you know, this isn't just about me or an at bat. you don't have to do this, the marlins organization, baseball in general doesn't owe me anything. so, like i said, from the bottom of my heart, i'll be ready for it. that i can assure you. >> david, let me do something -- >> i know you will be, adam. >> why don't you put that on? because you're going to wear that on tuesday. there's no deal struck here with the mets pitcher. nobody's going to be lobbing pitches to adam that night. >> no, i can assure you they're going to try to get him out. maybe on the first pitch even, but you're going to have a chance to swing, and you better swing, adam. >> i'm -- you don't have to worry about that, i'll be ready. >> matt, who will be more nervous as he takes to the plate? adam or you?

>> i don't know if i'm going to be crying or just jumping up and down. i cannot wait. i'm sitting here right now, i'm getting chills. look at this. i got chills. are you kidding me? >> i'll be honest with you, so do i. will you do us a favor? will you come back wednesday morning? no matter how it turns out? will you come back wednesday morning and talk to us? >> without a doubt. i'll be honored. >> i cannot wait to see this. david, thank you. and the miami marlins, we really appreciate it. >> all right. take care. thank you. >> all right. we're going to get another check of the weather now from maria larosa who is in for al. >> good morning, everyone. it's kind of a dreary day, but we have a bright, sunny group here. francesca, who are you all here for? >> we're here for a.j. >> thank you so much for being here. as far as the weather goes, out west you all know it's been above average and we're going to continue to see that. take a look at the high

temperatures. medford, 92 degrees, fresno, 94. and as we get into the weekend, that's not going to change a whole lot. high pressure dominating the west, big dip in the jet stream that has any hope of bringing cooler weather to the west is going to be in the east and going to bring wet weather to >> showers are possible today,. especially into the afternoon and evening hours. temperatures in the upper 70's to the low and that's a look at the weather. matt, back over to you. >> thank you very much. coming up next, the

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now facing multiple counts of sexual misconduct involving female subordinates during his deployment in afghanistan. natalie's taking a look at the issue of sex assaults in tonight's edition. >> in taking a close look at what can be done to identify and prosecute sexual predators. for our report, we talk to some victims who say they feel betrayed by the institution they pledged to serve. >> how many of you were raped while you were serving your country? how many of your assailants served prison time for your rape? how many of you felt like you were personally retaliated against? wow. show of hands almost says it all. >> i knew joining the military was going to be a sacrifice. this wasn't the intended sacrifice that i was willing to make. >> these are just a few of the

women and men who say they've been raped in the military. last year, more than 3,000 service members reported sexual assault. but according to the department of defense, that's only a tiny representation of the real number. which is closer to 19,000. because many victims don't come forward afraid their careers might suffer and knowing how hard it is to get justice. >> we have a moral duty. >> reporter: secretary of defense leon panetta says since taking over last year, he's made this issue a top priority. starting with better prosecution of those who commit these crimes. >> and what do you think of the prosecution rates? just last year only 240 cases were prosecuted of the more than 3,000 or so that were actually reported. >> yeah, it's an outrage that we aren't prosecuting. >> are rapists getting away with rape? >> look, these are tough cases, let's understand. as a lawyer, i look and know how tough these cases are sometimes.

but, the fact is we can do this. we need to improve the investigations. and we need to ensure that we have prosecutors who are willing to bring these cases to court and make sure that these people don't get away. >> reporter: but that resolve is being tested right now with the latest scandal rocking the air force base in san antonio, texas. six basic training instructors have been charged with sexual misconduct involving at least 38 women. >> does the military foster a culture right now that tolerates sexual assault? >> as we learned from what happened at lakland air force base, there's a power gain that can go on here that i think reflects sometimes what's happening in society in general. >> this has been a decade's long, though, problem. there's been scandal after scandal. you brought up the air base, do you view that as an isolated incident? >> i think that the degree that we've seen is probably something that unfortunately was

particular there. but the reality is, when you've got 19,000 sexual assaults taking place, this is something that's happening elsewhere, as well. >> despite everything you've gone through now, how many of you wish you could still serve your country? you have lost men and women who were willing to lay their lives on the line to serve their country. and have been forced to pay a very high price for that. >> i guess i want them to know that as difficult as their experience has been that we're going to learn from that. >> meanwhile, punishments are being handed down at the air force base, 5 of the 6 instructors charged have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted. the sentences have ranged from 30 days to 20 years. and you can see our entire story on "rock center" tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central time here on nbc. >> thanks for bringing it to us. coming up, we will take a

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performing that evening for a packed college campus. >> just a few weeks ago, psy was here in korea. then he conquered america and came back a superstar. now you can look for yourself. >> so many people are here. i've never seen that before. >> reporter: little wonder that a packed press conference, psy seemed overwhelmed. he said he felt like he was dreaming. >> i met the "today" show and i met the iheart. they were nice to me. i think so. even if they don't know what the lyric is about. >> reporter: the song has been seen as a parody of the seoul neighborhood where psy was born and home by one estimate to 7% of south korea's wealth. the area's resented by many koreans, but many others aspire to be part of it. psy makes it all look shallow

and self-important. though returning home, he's careful not to ruffle any feathers. >> you know it's funny song, right? so it doesn't have any critic or philosophy or whatever. >> reporter: it is also home to much of the entertainment industry which had regarded psy as a rather quirky performer, and at 34, a bit old by korean standards. >> comic dance. >> reporter: they are littered with talent agencies and k-pop wanna bes. thinker perhaps a bit envious of a man who they tell you can't dance that well. but they concede that psy does make people happy. and there can be no arguing with that. nor the fact that across the globe gangnam style has promoted level-headed people to break into dancing. and its appeal seems to have few

boundaries. >> and, of course, we're looking forward to having psy back on the plaza at his earliest convenience. we have david gagens is here trying to set the world's record for the most pull-ups in a 24-hour period. you feeling pretty good? >> i feel good. >> we'll hear about the cause you're doing it for right after a check of your local news. ...at the best schools in the world... ...you see they all have something very interesting in common. they have teachers... ...with a deeper knowledge of their subjects. as a result, their students achieve at a higher level. let's develop more stars in education. let's invest in our teachers... ...so they can inspire our students. let's solve this.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> looking at a northbound problem on 95. right at the beltway southwest, we have a vehicle fire off to the right shoulder. plenty of delays in the area. mount holly street and edmondson avenue, watch for an accident. just last 195, getting word of an accident there. southbound 95 is heavy, backing

up our perching white marsh to the 895 split. 15 miles per hour on average. outer loop york road, watch for a disabled vehicle. 14 miles per hour beginning at 1:00 for t-- at 140. monument and calvert street, watch for closures due to the baltimore book festival. 195, your northbound delay begins approaching the beltway southwest. over to you, ava. >> mild morning out there. 65 at the airport, a 67 in pikesville. at a lot of rain showers have been crossing through the northern part of our area this morning. there is still a chance for showers as we get into the afternoon and evening areas.

high temperatures in the upper seventies to low 80s. best chance for showers late afternoon and evening hours. forecast

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8:00 now on this thursday morning, it's september 27th, 2012. good morning to everybody who dropped by on our studio. a little bit of a drizzly morning. good morning, everyone, i'm savannah gurthrie alongside matt lauer. a wedding has to be the biggest day in anybody's life. so why not do it over and over and over again? that seems to be the philosophy of the couple you're about to meet. they've had 24 ceremonies all over the world from hawaii, los angeles, you name it. and they are not done yet. coming up, we're going to talk to them about why they do this. >> they keep marrying each other, right? >> exactly. exactly.

unclear if they change their vows every time. we'll find out. also, we'll have an attempt at a guinness world record right in our studio. right upstairs, actually. david is going to try to set the record for the most pull-ups done in a 24-hour period. the existing record is something like 4,200. that's not david on the bar. >> david's results may vary. >> oh, my gosh. this has disaster written all over it. you keep going. anyway, we're going to see how david does when we get him started in a couple of minutes. >> david's going to be doing a few thousand more than that. but then we're going to meet a dad and little girl behind these photos that have caught a lot of attention online. called the world best father photos for that mug he has in every shot. how he pulls off these pictures. and no, nobody was hurt in the process. and later, cue up the cheesy game show music. the ask away machine is fired up and ready to rock.

>> and today you're going in there. >> i'm going in there. >> no hair issues? >> well, there will be hair issues. >> we're okay. >> it's good, it's good. i didn't think of the skirt. >> let's go inside, natalie's got a check of the headlines. good morning, matt and savannah, good morning, everyone. an overnight deal will put regular nfl referees back on the football field in time for tonight's browns/ravens game. the tentative eight-year agreement ends the lockout that began in june. weeks of fan and team frustration came to a head after that bad call by replacement refs monday night, changed the outcome of the seattle seahawks/green bay packers game. president obama and mitt romney are both campaigning in virginia today. it's the second day the candidates are going head-to-head in the same battleground states. romney greeted world war ii veterans and told voters his policies will make their lives better. president obama, meanwhile, addressed a crowd at bowling

green, university. addressing romney's comments that 47% of americans see themselves as victims. courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange for us. and staggering new figures about student loan debt. >> that's right, good morning, natalie. college student loan debt is now hitting new record highs as both tuition costs and enrollment continues to rise. nearly 1 in 5 american households is saddled with this student loan debt burden. the average is up to an average of $27,000. meantime, europe once again, the top worry for u.s. markets against the backdrop of protests in both athens and madrid, the major averages still about a gain for the week, though the dow still is on track for the 11th monthly gain in the last 12, the quarter ends this week. >> courtney reagan, thanks. now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. an outrageous father/daughter story.

billionaire tycoon cecil chou has offered $65 million for any man who can woo and marry his 33-year-old daughter gigi. she's a lesbian who reportedly eloped with her female partner this year. google is making a splash with virtual scuba diving. the new feature lets you navigate the world's coral reef using google map's street view service. scientists hope the spectacular views of the reef will inspire people to protect them. and those egg-stealing pigs of angry birds infamy are hogging the limelight. new spinoff bad piggies launches today. and for the first time, fans get to play as pigs, not as birds as they help the green grunts build whacky vehicles to go after those coveted eggs and not a slingshot there in sight. it is 8:04 right now, let's go back outside to savannah and

matt. one more game i'll have to download for my kids. they like angry birds. >> got the umbrellas out. we know the weather here. maria larosa in for al. >> starting to rain a little bit on the plaza right now. and some of the signs have taken a bit of a hit here. what's your name? >> shannon hawthorne, chattanooga, tennessee. >> yes, ma'am. our pick city today is indianapolis. let's take you there. wthr our nbc affiliate looking at some showers and thunderstorms there too. 71 degrees, they have the annual red cross book fair. watch out for muddy fairgrounds. you can see a lot of us are in that boat here. we've got a boundary stretching from the northeast here in new york all the way back to the texas panhandle. stormy the entire way, we could see stormy weather. otherwise, north of that boundary, and cool start to the >> mostly cloudy with a chance for showers, especially into the evening hours.

highs in the upper 70's. you can get a look at your local weather any time on the air at weather channel or weather.com. matt, back to you. >> maria, thank you very much. coming up, 24 times and counting, the couple getting married all around the world over and over and over again. we'll meet them right after these messages. [ male announcer ] it's here!

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or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. back now at 8:10. for most people, planning one wedding is enough work as it is. so imagine doing it over and over again in dozens of ceremonies. well, that's what one couple is doing as they travel the world. and we're going to meet them in a moment. but first, nbc's kristen dahlgren has their story. >> reporter: while most people dream of an endless honeymoon, lisa and alex may have figured out the secret. ♪ hey baby i think i want to marry you ♪ >> getting married over and over and over. >> hopeless romantic. >> yeah. >> reporter: 24 times and counting. it started as a lark. >> we always blame it on the

wine. >> reporter: a plan to travel around the world. >> we said how about we look for a place to get married. ♪ marry me >> reporter: but they couldn't narrow it down, so after alex surprised her with a ceremony at home in england. >> i laughed and punched him. >> reporter: the couple took off to canada where they were married on horseback, on a beach, even the vancouver airport. they bought a 25-year-old camper they call peggy. can and headed south. peggy took part in a drive-thru wedding in vegas. and added to the adventure in central america. >> so we've broken down again. >> reporter: they've tangoed in argentina, waded with dolphins in hawaii, and took the plunge in mexico. lisa often wears the same dress, but they also adopt the local dress and customs. riding a donkey in colombia, or wearing the tattoos of a tribe

in africa. megan findlay helped dress them in vampire costumes on halloween in l.a. >> they're so incredibly in love and vibrant and fun and you want to participate and help out because you want to be a part of something beautiful. >> you must kiss the bride. >> reporter: it's the response they've gotten around the world from complete strangers who have donated photography, food, or performed the ceremonies. >> the places are brilliant, don't get me wrong, but it's the people that we meet and we've become such close friends. >> it has definitely been quite an adventure, but what might surprise you most about lisa and alex is after all these weddings, they're not legally married yet. >> the idea is that after all these weddings, we choose our favorite place and go back. >> reporter: but that won't happen until 2014. they have a lot more weddings ahead. and every single one still makes lisa tremble. >> still nervous. >> we're publicly declaring to

each other that we're going to be together forever. ♪ just say i do >> reporter: the journey of a lifetime just getting started. for "today," nbc news, los angeles. >> and lisa and alex join us now. good morning to you. >> hi. >> i guess everybody's got to have a hobby. so obviously you're well matched, you love to travel, you're adventurers. why is getting married an essential part of that? >> we don't need to get married, we wanted to do the trip anyway. and we thought instead of seeing all the churches and all the museums and things like that, we would do something unusual. and basically started off looking somewhere to get married. one night we had too many glasses of wine and out of nowhere came the idea to have a small ceremony in each place we visit in line with the local culture and tradition. it's been a perfect way to meet

people, local people, not just of the travelers. but, you know, people that are from the countries we're visiting and it's been an amazing experience so far. >> here's a question i don't ask every day. is the 24th wedding as special as the first? >> yes. definitely. every time we get nervous and get the sweaty palms. and it's the anticipation of the whole thing, the build-up to the day. we've planned it all, meeting new friends. it definitely is. >> always feels new because it's a new place, new people, new tradition. >> it's so neat, you had so many wonderful experiences. i know everybody at home is thinking, let's talk logistics. how do you pull this off? first of all, this looks great, weddings are expensive. >> it's not about the money. it's about people giving their time. we borrow outfits and we just ask to go to locations for short amounts of time. and it's just about people getting involved, it's not about the money. >> no, i think one of our favorite cost $8. it doesn't cost anything, great people coming together and

making something special. but the logistics is crazy. >> you know, e-mail photographers mainly and say this is what we're doing, do you want to be involved? >> do you do the same vows every time? do you switch it up? >> we take the information from the, you know, from the local people. >> are you ever like, hey, alex, you can work on those vows. there's room for improvement. >> it's not so bad. i think we've only written our vows to each other maybe once or twice. other times it's people holding the ceremony and asking us questions and talking. >> what do you parents think? aren't they like, when are these crazy kids going to get married. not have a wedding, get married. >> when we started off, we accidentally got married before they got there, so we're holding off. >> you'll be pros by the time this is all said and done. and we should mention that they're using their story to raise money for unicef. coming up next, a guinness world

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why you wanted to do this. >> el with, first of all, i want to say one thing. i'm here as an american, david goggins, american, doing this for just a great foundation. you know, this, it supports 900 kids to go to college since 1980. and it's just a great cause. full tuition. >> how do you prepare for something like this? how do you train? first of all, look at the shape you're in. >> wow. >> you haven't always been this physically fit, but you are now. what did you do to get ready for this effort? >> well, start off with every day, i did 100 pull-ups every day. and i did that for about two, three months just to get base. then it went to 1,000 pull-ups, then it went to 2,000 pull-ups and like 600 a week. >> you once weighed 300 pounds. >> 297. >> yeah. okay. okay. so you got yourself, you actually lost 100 pounds in two months. >> right. >> just to be able to become a navy s.e.a.l. what's the message you want to

tell people? >> i guess the whole thing, hold yourself accountable. don't quit. and sometimes the world is bad, you know, can get you down. but it's always about getting back up and just, you know, making something of a bad situation. >> you're an endurance runner. you do the extreme marathons, 48 hours of running. let's be clear, you don't like to work out, right? >> no, as you see there, i was 297 twice in my life. >> wow. >> i like to eat and i like to lift a lot of weights. this stuff right here is kind of tests my soul. test the limits. >> we're going to bring in the adjudicator for the guinness world records. how many times are you allowed to take breaks over the next 24 hours, what can you eat? can you go to the bathroom. >> i can take as many as i want to. on the minute, i'm going to be doing pull-ups. let's say it takes ten seconds to do pull-ups, i have 50 seconds to rest, if i go to the bathroom, i go and come right back. drinking, i'm drinking my food. liquid diet.

>> no sleep, obviously. >> no. >> and you're going for more than the record. >> that's the plan. >> what should we cook for you tomorrow when it's all over. >> you know what? whatever would be great. >> mike, what are you watching for? what puts the record attempt in jeopardy, things like that? >> the number one thing is technique. every pull-up has to standard with a dead hang, they have to be totally extended and straight. and every pull-up the chin has to meet or exceed the bar, and then it's a matter of keeping count and hoping that the hours -- >> of you got this down. how many can you do? >> yesterday i tried five, six maybe. >> well, you beat us. should we get out of the way and let david do this? >> we need a loud noise or a bell to start. >> i'll have my stopwatch starting. >> here we go. >> getting into the motion. >> yep. >> good luck, david. >> wow, it's like looking at myself in a mirror. >> i was going to say. this segment got even more interesting.

all right, david, best of luck to you. we'll be watching. >> and if you're done in new york, come by the studio, see the lights on here for the next 24 hours, you can check out david's effort. >> and the rocky theme song, i think is special request. >> we'll be checking on you all throughout the morning and night. >> all right. you ready? three, two, one, david, go. >> and so it begins. we'll be watching 24 hours. >> it's over. no. >> taking a little break. >> good luck. we'll be right back after this. fir first, a check of the birthdays. >> once again, the beautiful

shadows of the washington cathedr cathedral. it is spectacular. great tour. it really is. e nice taylor is 104 years old. secrets are eating and praying. happy birthday to you. jesse scott, a good man from newport, new hampshire, 105 years old, proud world war ii veteran, and he loves to go sailing. iness ward is 100 years old. great baker and a story teller. i love baked goods, don't you? take a look at this handsome dude, he is razzie smith from keanansville, north carolina. he enjoys gospel music and going to church. that's a good place to hear gospel music. louise decker from pittsburgh,

pennsylvania, 108 years old today. and she loves dancing and especially the irish jig and the river dance. i bet she can stand there and shake those arms. milo and georgia hart, 75 years they've been married and this is their anniversary. secret to longevity, compromise, my friend. compromise. that's it, that's all from washington, d.c. we're going to compromise the time and give it back to new york. cut. >> got it, willard. thank you very much. david goggins at 15 and counting, taking little breaks in between as he attempts to set a guinness world record. we'll have another edition of "ask away today," but first, these messages and your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 is in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still trying to wrap up this rush hour. another problem on eastbound i- 70 at route 97. we have a vehicle fire there. old court road, we have an accident. eastbound i-72 quds 29, looking at delays. 27 miles per hour on the west side outer loop, all the way do. inner loop showing delays over on the greenspring avenue exit towards the j.f.x. those delays continue south into

town. still very heavy on the northeast side, as you can see there. northbound to i-95 and 895, another crash. but that delays lingering i-95 to to the year earlier vehicle fire. 100, accident just in. update on 95, 195, northbound delays left over the vehicle fire. live view of traffic, and we will show you what looks like elsewhere. these delays lingering on the outer loop going away from us. john, overview. >> son is trying to break through the clouds a little bit. in a little bit more rain in the overnight hours. this front remains to our north. more rain is in the forecast. mostly cloudy skies. 65 as the temperature.

dew point is 62. moderate the humid out there. a mixture of sunshine and clouds, and shower chances will continue. not all the time, but it is a there. 78 to 83 for the high. >> we

we're back now 8:30 on a thursday morning, september 27th, 2012. up in the studio with david goggin continues to attempt to break the guinness world record for the most pull-ups in a 24-hour period. he's up to 52. he does some then he stops then he does some more. he's doing them every minute on the minute. hoping to break 4,020, which is

the existing world record. we're going to check in with him throughout the morning. >> wow. >> i'm matt lauer along with savannah gurthrie and natalie morales. and that's inspiring stuff going on upstairs. >> yeah. we admit we could not even do one. >> no question about it. anyway, coming up another installment of ask away today. already we've answered questions about our biggest cravings, our favorite interviews, and things like that. we've got more questions in there. savannah will be in the wind machine in a couple of minutes. also ahead, the father/daughter photos taking the internet by storm. they're really cute. one dad's tongue in cheek look at his relationship with his little daughter. he is here and so is alice. we'll talk to them about that. she was happier a few moments ago. >> she's happy now. >> until we get over there. >> alana stewart is out with a

new memoir detailing the highs and lows of her life from marriages with george hamilton and rod stewart to her relationship with the late farrah fawcett. >> we want to get a check of the weather. maria larosa in for al this morning. >> a little gray, a little dreary, but hard-core fans here. happy birthday to you. and i think these guys are from out of town. where are you guys from? >> seattle. >> and you're enjoying new york, obviously? >> absolutely. >> hi, guys. let's check out the weather for today. seattle kind of one of the gray spots. 74 and sunshine, but all along that boundary, showers and thunderstorms, some severe weather potentially from texas into colorado. we're talking hail and gusty winds. the biggest threat north of this boundary, a beautiful day in the great lakes and the midwest with a cool start, but mild finish. meanwhile, kind of hot and sticky across the southwest and the south for tomorrow, continued above average temperatures for most of the west. we're talking in some cases 15

to 20 degrees above the average. >> showers are possible today, especially into the afternoon and evening hours. temperatures in the upper 70's to the low you can get a check of the weather any time on the air at the weather channel or online at weather.com. back to you. >> maria, our feet are tapping. it's time once again for "ask away today." we have a hair stylist on alert because savannah is in the wind tunnel this morning grabbing questions. >> how many can you grab?

>> looks like a lot. her hands are full. >> it's not money. >> it's only a three-minute segment, savannah. come on out. >> is that the guinness world record for sitting in there? >> let's get these off. what do you think is going to happen? i'm going to get a paper cut? >> matt, will you be my wing man? stephanie harris from facebook. >> stephanie, i like your style. >> absolutely, i will do that. that sounds great. what was the line? engage, maverick, engage. >> oh, this is for al. we'll save that for later. >> okay. >> can matt please say madison, eat your cereal into the camera. the mom of an 11-month-old. >> she only listens to matt. >> ready? madison, please, please eat your cereal. >> right now, madison. >> i hope she rolls on that and play that over and over every

morning. >> what product does natalie use to make her hair so shiny and beautiful? from veronica watts, miami, florida. >> you need to ask laura because i don't use any products at home. but laura, our hairdresser. >> actually, the name was from natalie morales, hoboken, new jersey. just kidding. >> but thank you for the compliment. >> do any of you have quirky habits or pet peeves? tamron? >> oh, none that i want to tell. >> the belching. >> no, i have to take a bath the minute i walk into the door. as soon as i get in my home, i have to get in the bathtub. >> she does that in the studio also. >> i feel like i'm washing the germs of the day away. >> yeah. >> don't look at me like that. >> believe me, that's right up my alley, i do the same thing. >> is that what you do? >> kind of. >> purell. >> julie hathaway from

california, how long does it take you to get your make-up done? >> matt is in there for hours. >> that is not true. >> first the moisturizer then you like to exfoliate. >> answer the question. how long does it take you? >> well, the whole process, hair and make-up, 45 minutes. that's about right. >> yeah. same. >> i do my own make-up, takes me ten minutes. >> 50 seconds for me. >> i save time. >> your hair is short and you have no hair. >> matt -- >> samantha from facebook, what are your favorite dance moves? matt, you should take this one. >> gangnam style is absolutely, the fox trot, and the waltz. >> exactly. >> all right. >> the fox trot or the waltz. >> do we have time for one more? matt, if you had a frog, how would you name it? how would you name it? >> name it dinner.

>> oh. we're going to meet them both. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:39. dave goggins hit the century mark. 100 pull-ups, just 3,920 more to go before he hits the guinness world record. we'll keep an eye on that as he attempts to reach that record right there in our studio. back here, we've got the story of a dad behind some of the most remarkable father/daughter photos you're going to see. he poses with his world's best father mug and photo shops in his now 21-month-old daughter alice in some less than ideal parenting situations.

good morning to you. we love to look at these pictures, they really put a smile on your face. you must have a sinister side. to do this, to use the world's best father mug and do some of these scenarios. >> well, the idea here is that i want to demonstrate the type of father i hope i never actually become. >> you've been hearing from people all around the world since you posted these, what kind of comments are you getting? >> it's been overwhelmingly positive. the comments i've received. i received a really wonderful e-mail last night from a young woman, college-age woman who said she's never been able to find anything for her dad for his birthday, and this year she thinks she found the right present. which is one of our calendars. >> you having a never-ending supply of possible scenarios, there's so much to do wrong in parenting. >> like this. >> yeah, this is -- this will be up there. you know, i have a list of at least 100 ideas i haven't shot yet. and, you know, every day,

there's new ideas that come. >> she can crawl away if she wants. >> oh, there we go. >> now she sees herself, she's frozen. she's like savannah. >> i was about to say that. >> can we stress something? at no time during the making of these photos is your daughter ever in any danger. >> no, that's absolutely right. we put the camera on a tripod and generally shoot our parts separately. i'll shoot my part and we'll shoot alice's scene, and my wife is usually there to help and assist, and if she's not available, i invite someone over to assist. >> that was my next question, your wife is a lieutenant colonel stationed in korea? >> yes, she's stationed in korea. so she's been a co-collaborate or the in this process from the very beginning. she's always there. she helps us with editing and deciding what images to use. and since she's been stationed in korea since june, we save time every day and we're able to look at them together and she

helps me decide which ones to pick. >> i'm going to send the control room in a frantic search here. but do you have a favorite? one that shows your dark side the best? >> that's sort of like asking a parent which of their children is their favorite. >> we did that. >> but, the very first one is probably my favorite. because i really, alice had been alive for eight weeks when i took this picture and i was completely clueless. >> what is it of? >> it's this one right here. and i really wanted to capture and kind of poke fun at myself just for how out of it i felt. you know, i came up with the idea for the shot and then on a whim i bought the coffee mug because i thought it might make the photo a little bit funnier and that's become the running gag in all of the future images. >> and the rest is history. thank you so much for showing the photos. a lot of people can relate and they bring a smile to our faces. thank you. you do a great job. >> thank you. coming up next, alana

stewart on her memoir on the search to find her happily ever after.

we're back now at 8:45 with actress and former talk show host alana stewart, her marriages first to george hamilton then to singer rod stewart both ended, unfortunately, in divorce. and most recently, she documented the illness and subsequent passing of her good friend farrah fawcett. now in her memoir, "rearview mirror," alana chronicles her journey to find happiness. it's nice to have you back. >> thank you, matt. i'm good. good to be here. >> i'm going to start this interview without trying to be sensational in the place where you basically start the book. and you start by telling a story, an in your face story about you being 18 years old living in texas.

and a guy breaks into your home, puts a knife to you and rapes you. and i'm curious why you started there. >> i started because it was such a transformational event in my life and it's what propelled me to finally just get to the guts, to leave texas and leave my past behind. and i think that, you know, you never -- for a woman, you never expect this to happen to you. i never in my wildest dreams thought i would be raped. and in texas, back in those days, it was such a stigma, you know, such a shameful thing to have happen to you. and i was treated by the police like i was the perpetrator and not the victim. and it was really quite a horrible situation. >> there were other challenges in your young life. you write about your grandmother making clothes for you out of flour sacks, basically. >> that was the good part. >> you were poor growing up. i've never talked to anybody who has experienced being poor at any stage of their life where they haven't said it had a profound impact on them. how did it impact you?

>> i think it taught me my values that i still have today. and i think if i hadn't had my grandmother in my life, i wouldn't be the person i am today. and i think her faith in god and her stability helped me get through a lot of very difficult challenges in my life. >> you went from being poor to being very successful and wealthy as a fashion model. and did you ever stop and say well, maybe god gave me these looks for a reason? it was my path out. >> well, it was my path out. and i think we all have something inside us that gets us through, that gets us through life. and it certainly wasn't just my looks. my looks got me -- my looks started me out. but looks don't -- they can only take you so far. >> exactly. you have to have brains behind the looks. you talk about in the book, never really knowing your father. and then perhaps spending a certain portion of your life looking for a father figure. and that -- you don't have to be an armchair shrink to then say how did that affect your choice of your husbands.

first george hamilton and then rod stewart. >> i got very lucky with george. i was very young and very naive and i happened to meet a man who was an incredible human being. and i could have met a real jerk, you know, and gone along the path that a lot of young women have. >> and yet it ended in divorce, but you remained very good friends. you hosted a talk show together. >> yes, and we were together ten years all together and we have a wonderful son and he's one of my very closest friends, he's like my family. >> that relationship close, and i don't get the same feeling from your second marriage to rod stewart. you two -- >> you think? >> you two did not remain close after divorce. first of all, what went wrong in the marriage? >> we were so madly in love in the beginning, and i think it was one of those kind of fairy tale marriages that -- first of all, i had suddenly three children, three small children and i wanted a different lifestyle and i wanted to stay home with my kids. and you know, we just started to grow apart. and the fairy tale fell apart.

>> you say i wanted to stay home with my kids, but you also write in your book one of your biggest regrets, you wish you had been a better mom. >> i do wish i'd been a better mom. after rod and i broke up i really fell apart emotionally, and i don't think i was the most stable person in the world. and it took me -- >> you thought about suicide? >> i did. i did. but i knew i couldn't leave my children and i knew i had to find some kind of strength within me, you know, to get through. and that's when i started on a more spiritual journey. >> just quickly, you think you'll ever marry again? >> well, i'd like to think that maybe one day i would. yes. >> it's a fascinating book. >> why, do you know somebody to fix me up with? >> well, this isn't a matchmaking service, but i was curious. >> thanks for having me on. >> the book is "rearview mirror." up next, bobby brown and alexa ray joel on how to celebrate your beauty. first this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's beauty," inspiring confidence. today bobbi brown is off with her new book. some discuss what beauty means to them, including daughter of billy joel and christie brink y brinkley, alexa joel. take a look.

>> when we sat down to choose women for the book, alexa popped up immediately. i have watched her grow up. i used to do her mother's make-up when she was a little girl. she has a light in her eye, a sparkle, and when she arrives, you feel her presence. ♪ >> she's had her own struggles as most of us women have. and she has decided to take them and make them positive. and i really believe if more women talk about who they are and where they've been, it's a lot easier for women to relate and feel good about where they're going. >> how long? >> good morning again to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> bobbi, the last time i saw you, you were telling me katie holmes was the new face of bobbi brown. >> well, i wrote the book first.

>> tell us about this concept of pretty powerful. it's more than make-up. >> pretty powerful to me is women look pretty without make-up, but powerful with make-up because it makes you confident and comfortable so you can do anything in the world you want to do. >> you have lots of stories of real women who aren't famous. we do have some gorgeous, famous women, alexa joel is one of them, blithe danner, how did you choose the women that would be portrayed in this book? >> i wanted to have women that have a story and have a sparkle and, of course, look good in a photograph. and the amazing thing is to hear these women's stories about themselves about what they're going through and it's important to share it with other women. >> and this is somebody you grew up with. >> oh, we go way back. >> you used to do your mom's make-up back in the day? >> yes, yes. >> how did you feel when she asked you to be part of the book? >> i was so honored, i was so surprised. because i have been honestly a huge fan of bobbi, i use her

foundation, love her cream blush. and she's a wonderful person with a great inspirational message. it's not just about the make-up. it's about empowering women and finding beauty from within and from the inside out. >> and you talked a lot about that. about struggles when you were younger. you wrote as my teenage years were rough, i was painfully shy, terrified of boys, really a late bloomer. >> oh, terrified. i had a lot of anxiety and, you know, growing up with such, you know, unbelievably charismatic, you know, famous parents, it takes a minute to find your way. and so, yeah. it takes a moment. and performing and doing things like that when you're in the public spotlight it kind of forces you out of your shell and you have to just embrace who you are. and there's this whole new body movement happening and everybody just embracing their true selves, true identity. >> you have to be the best you and be comfortable. our job as women is to inspire other women to feel good.

and i've realized it's not how you look, it's how you feel that you look. >> and one of the things i like about the book and alexa ray how honest you've been about struggles in the past. we remember a couple of years ago you had an overdose of pills. you talked about that you had some plastic surgery on your nose. how has -- just being so transparent about that is something you've talked about a lot. how has that helped you? how is that part of your message? >> it's helped me enormously. i think it's empowering to be able to say, yes, i've been through this struggle, and yes, i had something i wanted to fix and i did that. i think it's important for women to own it and send a message to other women, it's okay to come out and say i'm not perfect. i have something i want to do that makes me feel better for me and go for it. and -- >> and press the reset button any time. >> i love that. press the reset button. >> any time you need to start over. be your best self. be who you are. >> yeah, people go through heartbreak and go through these

issues. and it's okay to own up to it and talk about it. and makes other people feel like, okay, it's okay to be emotional. it's okay to go through that. >> and that honesty makes you all the more beautiful. that's for sure. thank you so much. the book is powerful. we're back after your local news. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore city police officers are trying to figure out how man's body ended up in the inner harbor. a 63-year-old man was found around 6:45 wednesday night in canton. homicide detectives are assigned

to the case and are calling the death suspicious.

>> we had some rain that has moved to the east. more rain to the west. rain in our forecast with mostly cloudy skies. a little on the human side, too.